Top 10 Superfoods to Eat Your Way To Beautiful Skin by nutritionist Kellie Weiss (Part I)

The focus on holistic healthy living is set to get even bigger in 2016. And we love it! As looking good should be as much about what you put in your body as it is about what you put on your skin.
But where to start if you want to know a little bit more about nutrition and foods that your skin can seriously benefit from? 

Despite the numerous aspirational Instagram accounts bursting with beautiful fruit juices and avocado on toast it can be difficult to find some basic and reliable information about nutrition.
So we teamed with London based Nutritional Therapist Kellie Weiss of kellieweissnutrition.com to look beyond the filters and dive a little bit deeper into the question of nutrition and how it can positively impact the condition of your skin.  

Courtesy image: pinterest

In this Part I Kellie answers some of the most pressing questions you had about anti-oxidants, toxins entering the body and the function of the liver.
In Part II we talk about food (!) and Kellie will share some easy to find Superfoods that are beneficial to the skin. So if you are after better health and radiant skin in 2016 just keep on reading! 

What can the condition of our skin tell us about what is happening in our bodies?

'Our skin is the largest organ in the body and a major organ of detoxification. It acts as a barrier allowing toxins both out and in through its layers. How our skin appears on the outside can therefore be a good indicator of what is going on inside the body. A good definition of healthy skin is its ability to respond to the onslaught of challenges it is exposed to on a daily basis that would otherwise undermine its aesthetically pleasing properties, appearance and feel.

Does it really matter what we put in our bodies, i.e. how can it have any impact on the condition of our skin?

'The adage: ‘You are what you eat’ couldn’t be a more truer statement, especially at this time of year. What we eat complements the host of processes, functions and maintenance the body undergoes to preserve optimum skin health..……

In skin care it is all about Antioxidants but what are they exactly and why are they important?

'One of the theories of how we age proposes that the body deteriorates via a process similar to rusting called oxidation. It produces free radicals, which can be destructive to skin cells and body tissues. Antioxidants come to the rescue when they neutralise free radicals before they can do their damage'

What role does the liver play in this respect? What can it tell us about our body’s health?

'Many skin disorders can be traced to imbalances in the liver and digestive tract. The liver is our major organ of detoxification, so if it becomes congested it will eliminate toxins through the bowel and if the bowel is not efficient enough, the skin.'

On to the topic of ', Superfoods', what makes a type of food so exceptionally beneficial over another?

'When focusing on certain ingredients or food groups it is essential to take a balanced approach. Whilst certain foods can have high contents of vitamins and minerals ranging from Vitamin A, C, E, Beta Carotene or Anthocyanins that have a host of benefits; from absorbing ultraviolet exposure to the skin or protecting the skin against free radicals triggered by exposure to environmental and chemical toxins, no single food can on its own maintain and promote good skin and health, because they do not work in isolation but rather come from the overall benefits. Modern nutritional science is developing new insights into the relation between food intake and health, and the effects of food ingredients may prove to be immensely relevant for optimal skin health. A Superfood rich diet is likely to be a generally healthy diet associated with other lifestyle choices such as not smoking, exercising regularly and avoiding excess alcohol.

But there are definitely 'Superfoods' that I would recommend adding to your varied diet that can be extremely beneficial to the skin and health in general and in Part II I will share my 10 favourites and some really simple tips how to incorporate them in your breakfast, lunch or dinner or just as a delicious but healthy snack.'